Riding the Wave of the Internet Era, Setting Sail for the “Reorganization” of the Hospitality Industry
Shanghai, August 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As the leading forum for China’s hotel and tourism industry, CHAT Shanghai (formerly known as the “China Hotel Market Review and Outlook Seminar”), organized by Horwath HTL, STR Global, and the China Tourism Hotels Association, has long been committed to building a professional communication and exchange platform for hotel professionals through innovative formats, in-depth content, and a rigorous approach. As an extension of CHAT Beijing, CHAT Shanghai attracts countless industry elites with its unique and engaging topics and diverse, interactive formats. Following the great success of the 7th CHAT Shanghai last year, this year’s event will grandly open at the Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Jinqiao on September 16–17.
Highlights from the CHAT Forum
Dare to Explore, Seek the Blue Ocean
Carrying forward the “reorganization” theme of this April’s CHAT Beijing and centered around the “Internet Era,” the forum will address the practical context and pain points faced by China’s hotel industry in its current transformation. A variety of hot topics will be discussed in diverse and dynamic formats, with the goal of jointly exploring innovative solutions. The discussions will cover not only innovations and breakthroughs throughout the entire lifecycle—from hotel development and front-end operations to service delivery and asset management—but also envision the future direction of the hotel industry from the perspectives of market trends and customer needs. Notably, this year’s CHAT Shanghai creatively adopts the theme of the “Age of Exploration,” symbolizing the courage to forge ahead into the future of the industry and encouraging industry professionals to jointly seek new opportunities for China’s hotel development under the “new normal.”
Cross-Industry Collaboration, A Gathering of Stars
For years, the CHAT Forum has been highly recognized by the industry for its high-quality, in-depth content. This year’s CHAT Shanghai will once again shine brightly, featuring a stellar lineup and inviting numerous cross-industry leaders to join in the celebration. The event will attract nearly 500 industry leaders, bringing together senior executives from hotel management companies, hotel investors and owners, lawyers, architects, designers, and industry experts—all gathering to explore new blue oceans for China’s hotel industry during this period of transformation.
This CHAT Shanghai Forum will feature distinguished speakers including Mr. Chen Chi, CEO and Co-founder of Xiaozhu Short-Term Rental, Mr. Li Shaohua, President of Alitrip’s “Qunar,” Mr. Lin Cong, Senior Vice President of Hotel Business Development for Marriott International in China, and Mr. Shane Johnson, Senior Vice President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Head of Investment and Development for Greater China. These four leaders will engage in a unique and thought-provoking dialogue titled “Industrial Age vs. Internet Age,” discussing the transformation path of China’s hotel industry against the backdrop of changing eras. Additionally, Mr. Cao Bingsen, President of Frasers Hospitality, will also attend CHAT Shanghai and join Mr. [Name], Executive Director of Horwath HTL, a long-time friend, for a heartwarming “Leaders’ Dialogue.” Meanwhile, the CHAT Forum will continue its most distinctive “Brainstorming for All” session, inviting 13 industry leaders to guide group discussions on six different aspects of the grand vision for “Future Hotels,” sharing highly innovative and inspiring insights—the next game-changing solution for the industry may very well emerge from here. Robert Hecker Additionally, at this CHAT Shanghai Forum, the organizers will once again exclusively release the “China Hotel Performance Benchmark,” the acclaimed 2015 China Hotel Industry Statistics Report. The report’s Executive Deputy Editor—Ms. Li Zhi from Horwath HTL—will personally analyze the authoritative data and review the industry’s performance over the past year. In keeping with its consistent commitment to fairness and objectivity, the organizers will also select the four hotels with the highest profit growth over the past two years based on the data from the 2015 China Hotel Industry Statistics Report, and present them with the special “CHAT Hotel Operations Award” as recognition.
Highlights from the CHAT Forum
Innovative and Exciting, Full of Promise
Different from other professional forums, CHAT has long been beloved by hotel professionals for its youthful and vibrant atmosphere, as well as its rich and highly innovative formats. At this CHAT Shanghai Forum, the organizers will unveil an unprecedented “Old Lin’s Talk Show” segment, where a mysterious industry bigwig will take the stage to humorously recount stories that only those in the hotel business can truly appreciate—offering sharp critiques amid humor and provoking thought through entertainment.
Furthermore, following the great success of the WeChat-based activities that comprehensively engaged audiences at April’s CHAT Beijing, this CHAT Shanghai will continue to use WeChat as a real-time interaction tool. Alongside more exciting games and interactions, the event will also introduce novel and fun participation formats such as character tests, in line with the “Age of Exploration” theme. Additionally, mysterious “crew members” roaming the venue will use instant cameras to discreetly capture memorable moments of attendees, with every smile and expression preserved on the CHAT Memory Wall—collectively witnessing CHAT’s growth.
The journey to seek new opportunities may be fraught with storms, and the voyage to discover new lands may be scattered with hidden reefs. The CHAT Forum will always stand by hospitality professionals,
riding the wavesand steering toward a bright future.Image - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150831/0861508122-a
Image - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150831/0861508122-b
Highlights from the CHAT Forum